TITLE:
Comparison of Mortality, Length of Stay, and Hospitalization Costs of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients with Cardiac and Non-Cardiac Disease
AUTHORS:
Babak Heidari Aghdam, Zahra Kamali Seyedbaglou, Amin Shams Akhtari
KEYWORDS:
COVID-19, Cardiac Disease, Length of Hospital Stay, Costs, Mortality
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Emergency Medicine,
Vol.11 No.3,
September
11,
2023
ABSTRACT: Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges to global healthcare systems. As the pandemic unfolded, it became evident that certain groups of individuals were at an elevated risk of experiencing severe disease outcomes. Among these high-risk groups, individuals with pre-existing cardiac conditions emerged as particularly vulnerable. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the length of stay, mortality, and costs of COVID-19 patients with and without a history of cardiac disease. Design: This retrospective study was conducted in Jam Hospital in Tehran, Iran, from March 21, 2021, to March 21, 2022. All patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who were hospitalized during this period were included. Results: A total of 500 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized, with 31.6% having a history of cardiac disease and 68.4% without any cardiac disease. Patients with cardiac disease were significantly older (median [range] age, 69.35 [37 - 94] years) compared to non-cardiac patients (54.95 [13 - 97] years) (p Conclusion: Patients with cardiac disease who are hospitalized with COVID-19 have a higher mortality rate, longer hospital stays, greater disease severity, ICU admission, and higher costs. Therefore, improved prevention and management strategies are crucial for these patients.